Adjustable user interfaces with movable separators

ABSTRACT

Tools and techniques for adjustable user interfaces with movable separators are provided. Display devices provided by these tools may include fixed-size hardware display screens. These display screens include input control portions that are responsive to user input to receive commands from users, and include output display portions for presenting output to users in response to the commands. These display screens also include separators that are movable along the display screens, with the separators dividing the input control portions from the output display portions. In response to movements of the separators, the input control portions and the output display portions are resized relative to one another.

BACKGROUND

Mobile devices typically provide fixed-size displays. In some cases,these mobile devices may also include hardware keys located in fixedpositions on the device. Generally, these fixed-size displays and thefixed locations of the hardware keys drive the design of user interfacesprovided by those mobile devices.

SUMMARY

Tools and techniques for adjustable user interfaces with movableseparators are provided. Display devices provided by these tools mayinclude fixed-size hardware display screens. These display screensinclude input control portions that are responsive to user input toreceive commands from users, and include output display portions forpresenting output to users in response to the commands. These displayscreens also include separators that are movable along the displayscreens, with the separators dividing the input control portions fromthe output display portions. In response to movements of the separators,the input control portions and the output display portions are resizedrelative to one another.

It should be appreciated that the above-described subject matter may beimplemented as a computer-controlled apparatus, a computer process, acomputing system, or as an article of manufacture such as acomputer-readable medium. These and various other features will beapparent from a reading of the following Detailed Description and areview of the associated drawings.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intendedthat this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited toimplementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part ofthis disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a combined block and flow diagram illustrating systems oroperating environments suitable for adjustable user interfaces withmovable separators.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating example configurations of userinterfaces that feature variable-sized display areas and control areas,partitioned by a sliding separator.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating further configurations of theuser interfaces, with the control area depicting a plurality of icons.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating further configurations of theuser interfaces, with the display area depicting application-specificcontent and the control area depicting application-specific buttons oricons.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating further configurations of theuser interfaces, with the control area depicting example configurationsof numeric keypads.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating further configurations of theuser interfaces, with the control area depicting example configurationsof alphanumeric keypads.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating further configurations of theuser interfaces, with the control area depicting example configurationsof QWERTY keypads.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart illustrating processing that may be performed inconnection with the adjustable user interfaces with movable separators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description provides tools and techniques foradjustable user interfaces with movable separators. While the subjectmatter described herein presents a general context of program modulesthat execute in conjunction with the execution of an operating systemand application programs on a computer system, those skilled in the artwill recognize that other implementations may be performed incombination with other types of program modules. Generally, programmodules include routines, programs, components, data structures, andother types of structures that perform particular tasks or implementparticular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art willappreciate that the subject matter described herein may be practicedwith other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices,multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like.

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawingsthat form a part hereof, and that show, by way of illustration, specificexample implementations. Referring now to the drawings, in which likenumerals represent like elements through the several figures, thisdescription provides various tools and techniques related to adjustableuser interfaces with movable separators.

FIG. 1 illustrates systems or operating environments, denoted generallyat 100, related to adjustable user interfaces with movable separators.Turning to FIG. 1 in more detail, these systems 100 may support anynumber of computer systems, electronic devices, and the like (referredto herein collectively as “electronic devices” 102). In differentimplementation scenarios, electronic devices 102 may include, but arenot limited to: mobile devices; cellular telephones; smartphones;wireless-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs); personal computers(PCs) whether characterized as desktops, notebooks, laptops, netbooks,or the like; and other similar devices.

Turning to the electronic devices 102 in more detail, these devices mayinclude one or more instances of processing hardware, with FIG. 1providing a processor 104 as an example of such processing hardware. Theprocessors 104 may have a particular type or architecture, chosen asappropriate for particular implementations. In addition, the processors104 may couple to one or more bus systems 106, having type and/orarchitecture that is chosen for compatibility with the processors 104.

The devices 102 may also include one or more display hardware or screens108, coupled to communicate with the bus systems 106. The displayscreens 108 may take different forms, depending on the capabilities ofdifferent particular electronic devices 102. The display screens 108 maybe constructed with any suitable technology, recognized as appropriatein different implementation scenarios. In general, the display screens108 may present data or information in visible form to any number ofhuman users associated with the electronic device 102. In addition, thedisplay screens 108 may also receive input from those users, providedusing any suitable input means. For example, the display screens may beimplemented with touch-sensitive technology, and be responsive to userinput registered by touch. However, implementations of this descriptionmay operate with other input mechanisms, without departing from thescope and spirit of this description.

The electronic devices 102 may include one or more instances of aphysical computer-readable storage medium or media 110, which couple tothe bus systems 106. The bus systems 106 may enable the processors 104to read code and/or data to/from the computer-readable storage media110. The media 110 may represent apparatus in the form of storageelements that are implemented using any suitable technology, includingbut not limited to semiconductors, magnetic materials, optics, or thelike. The media 110 may represent memory components, whethercharacterized as RAM, ROM, flash, or other types of technology. Themedia 110 may also represent secondary storage, whether implemented ashard drives, CD-ROMs, DVDs, or the like. Hard drive implementations maybe characterized as solid state, or may include rotating media storingmagnetically-encoded information.

The storage media 110 may include one or more modules of softwareinstructions that, when loaded into the processor 104 and executed,cause the electronic devices 102 to provide adjustable user interfaceswith sliding separators. As detailed throughout this description, thesemodules of instructions may also provide various tools or techniques bywhich the electronic devices 102 may participate within the overallsystems or operating environments 100 using the components, flows, anddata structures discussed in more detail throughout this description.For example, the storage media 110 may include one or more softwaremodules that implement the adjustable user interfaces with slidingseparators.

In general, the software modules providing the adjustable userinterfaces with sliding separators may, when loaded into the processors104 and executed, transform the processors 104 and the overallelectronic devices 102 from general-purpose computing systems intospecial-purpose computing systems customized to providepressure-sensitive context menus. The processors 104 may be constructedfrom any number of transistors or other discrete circuit elements, whichmay individually or collectively assume any number of states. Morespecifically, the processor 104 may operate as a finite-state machine,in response to executable instructions contained within the softwaremodules stored on the media 110. These computer-executable instructionsmay transform the processors 104 by specifying how the processors 104transition between states, thereby physically transforming thetransistors or other discrete hardware elements constituting theprocessors 104.

Encoding the software modules providing the pressure-sensitive contextmenus may also transform the physical structure of the storage media110. The specific transformation of physical structure may depend onvarious factors, in different implementations of this description.Examples of such factors may include, but are not limited to: thetechnology used to implement the storage media 110, whether the storagemedia 110 are characterized as primary or secondary storage, and thelike. For example, if the storage media 110 are implemented assemiconductor-based memory, the software implementing the adjustableuser interfaces with sliding separators may transform the physical stateof the semiconductor memory, when the software is encoded therein. Forexample, the software may transform the state of transistors,capacitors, or other discrete circuit elements constituting thesemiconductor memory.

As another example, the storage media 110 may be implemented usingmagnetic or optical technology. In such implementations, the softwareimplementing the adjustable user interfaces with sliding separators maytransform the physical state of magnetic or optical media, when thesoftware is encoded therein. These transformations may include alteringthe magnetic characteristics of particular locations within givenmagnetic media. These transformations may also include altering thephysical features or characteristics of particular locations withingiven optical media, to change the optical characteristics of thoselocations. Other transformations of physical media are possible withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the present description, with theforegoing examples provided only to facilitate this discussion.

The storage media 110 may include one or more instances of auser-configurable user interface (UI), which may be implemented as oneor more software components or modules 112 that are operable with theprocessors 104. In addition, the storage media 110 may also include anynumber of software applications 114 and/or utilities 116. Examples ofthe applications 114 or utilities 116 may include, but are not limitedto: utilities used to configure settings for the electronic devices 102;software supporting a digital camera included in the electronic devices102; e-mail, IM, or text-messaging applications; time-management orcalendaring applications; players and utilities for managing collectionsof multimedia digital content (e.g., music, video, pictures, and thelike); game controller software; calculator functions; navigationutilities; note-taking applications; word processing, spreadsheet,database, or other types of application software; and the like.

FIG. 2 illustrates example configurations of user interfaces, denotedgenerally at 200, that feature variable-sized display areas and controlareas, partitioned by a sliding separator. Without limiting possibleimplementations, FIG. 2 may be understood as elaborating further on theelectronic devices 102, as shown in FIG. 1 and carried forward into FIG.2.

Turning to the electronic devices 102 and related user interfaces 200 inmore detail, FIG. 2 carries forward the display screen 108 from FIG. 1.The display screen 108 may have a fixed size, according to thedimensions of the hardware implementing the display screen 108. Inaddition, the display screen 108 may include a display area 202 forproviding output visible to a user of the electronic device 102. Thedisplay screen 108 may also include a control area 204 responsive touser input directed to the electronic device 102.

The display screen 108 may also include a separator 206, which separatesthe split area 202 from the control area 204. As described in furtherdetail below, the separator 206 may move relative to the display screen108, and thereby adjust the relative sizes of the display area 202 andthe control area 204. In the example shown in FIG. 2, if the separator206 is moved upwards, the portion of the display screen 108 allocated tothe display area 202 would shrink, and a portion of the display screen108 allocated to the control area 204 would expand. Conversely, if theseparator 206 is moved downwards, the display area 202 would expand, andthe control area 204 would shrink.

For convenience only, FIG. 2 and other drawing Figures shown hereinillustrates examples in which the display screen 108 is generallyrectangular. However, other shapes and configurations of the displayscreen 108 are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit ofthe present description. In addition, FIG. 2 and other drawings hereinillustrate examples in which the separator 206 is movable along thelonger axis of the rectangular display screen 108. However, othermovements of the separator 206 relative to the display screen 108 arepossible in implementations of this description.

Turning to the display area 202 in more detail, as shown in FIG. 2, thedisplay area 202 may display general content, denoted collectively at208. This general content 208 may be independent of any particularapplications or utilities (e.g., 114 and 116 in FIG. 1) that areinstalled on the electronic device 102. For example, the general content208 may include background imagery or wallpaper, displays of datesand/or times, and the like.

Turning to the control area 204 in more detail, this control area 204may include depictions of any number of icons, with FIG. 2 illustratingthree examples of such icons at 210 a, 210 b, and 210 n (collectively,icons 210). However, implementations of this description may include anynumber of icons 210, without departing from the scope and spirit of thisdescription. In general, the icons 210 may respond to user selection oractivation to perform various functions. For example, in some states ofthe display screen 108, the icon 210 a may represent a telephonefunction, and may respond to user input to initiate or accept atelephone call using the electronic device 102. The icon 210 b mayrepresent a contact list or address book, and may respond to user inputto open the address book or contact list. The icon 210 n maycollectively represent the applications 114 and/or utilities 116installed on the electronic device 102, and may respond to user input tomake these applications 114 and/or utilities 116 individually accessibleto the user.

FIG. 3 illustrates further configurations of the user interfaces,denoted generally at 300. For example, the user interfaces maytransition from the configurations shown in FIG. 2 to the configurationsshown in FIG. 3 in response to the user selecting or activating the icon210 n. Recalling previous description, the icon 210 n may collectivelyrepresent any number of applications 114 and/or utilities 116). In thisscenario, the separator 206 may move upwards to shrink the control area202, while also expanding the control area 204. In turn, the expandedcontrol area 204 may depict any number of icons 302 a-302 n(collectively, icons 302). These icons 302 may represent any of theapplications 114 and/or utilities 116 discussed above with FIG. 2. Inaddition, these icons 302 may respond to user input or activation toinitiate the functions provided by the applications 114 and/or utilities116 that correspond to the individual icons 302.

FIG. 4 illustrates further configurations of the user interfaces,denoted generally at 400. The user interfaces may transition from theconfigurations shown in FIG. 3 to the configurations shown FIG. 4, inresponse to the user activating one of the icons 302. Thus, the userinterfaces 400 may relate to a particular application 114 or utility 116that corresponds to the activated icon 302.

As shown in FIG. 4, the display area 202 may depict application-specificcontent 402, which relates to the application 114 or utility 116 whoseicon 302 was activated by the user from the UIs 300 shown in FIG. 3. Forexample, assuming that the user activated an icon 302 from FIG. 3 thatcorresponds to a music player, the content 402 may include a picture ofa recording artist or the like.

The control area 204 as shown in FIG. 4 may depict any number ofapplication-specific buttons or icons, denoted collectively at 404. Thenumber, type, and nature of these application-specific buttons 404 mayvary, depending on the particular applications 114 or utilities 116included in a given implementation. In the music player exampleintroduced above, the application-specific buttons 404 may includebuttons for playing a given song, stopping or pausing playback of thegiven song, selecting a particular song for playback, fast-forwarding orrewinding playback, and the like. However, implementations of thisdescription may include other forms of application-specific buttons 404,not departing from the scope and spirit of the present description.

FIG. 5 illustrates further configurations of the user interfaces,denoted generally at 500. As described in further detail below, the userinterfaces 500 may be suitable for entering text into a givenapplication (e.g., word processing, text messaging, text editing, or thelike). In example implementations, a given user may access the userinterfaces 500 by activating one of the icons 210 in FIG. 2 or one ofthe icons 302 in FIG. 3.

The control area 204 as shown in FIG. 5 may depict exampleconfigurations of a numeric keypad 502. The numeric keypad 502 mayinclude individual buttons collectively labeled with the digits 0-9,along with any additional buttons deemed appropriate in a givenimplementation (e.g., buttons labeled “*”, “#”, or the like).

Turning to the display area 202, it may include a field 504 forreceiving alphanumeric input. In example implementations, the field 504may provide a “To:” field for a text messaging, instant message (IM), ore-mail application. For example, a given user may choose to expose andutilize the numeric keypad 502 to enter a telephone number into thefield 504, to direct a telephone call, text message, or the like to thattelephone number. In addition, the display area 202 may include amessage field 506, for receiving alphanumeric input entered by the user.In example implementations, the alphanumeric input entered into themessage field 506 may be a message body related to an e-mail, instantmessage, text message, or the like.

Once the message body entered into the message field 506 is complete,the user may activate a send button 508 to transmit the message. At anytime, however, the user may exit the user interfaces 500 by activatingan exit button 510.

FIG. 6 illustrates further configurations of the user interfaces,denoted generally at 600. In example implementations, the userinterfaces 500 shown in FIG. 5 may transition to the user interfaces 600shown in FIG. 6. This transition may occur in response to the usersliding the separator 206 from a position shown in FIG. 5 to theposition shown in FIG. 6. Although FIGS. 5 and 6, as well as the otherdrawing Figures shown herein, are not drawn to scale, the message field506 as shown in FIG. 6 may be smaller than the message field 506 asshown in FIG. 5. In addition, the control area 204 in FIG. 6 may belarger than the control area 204 shown in FIG. 5.

Turning to the control area 204 as shown in FIG. 6, this control area204 depicts alphanumeric keypads 602 that comply with the ITU-T standardfor assigning the 26 basic Latin letters (a-z) to a 12-key telephonekeypad. For example, the keypad button “2” may be labeled with theletters “abc”, and so on. In this manner, the alphanumeric keypad 602may enable users to enter alphanumeric characters into the fields 504and/or 506 shown in the display area 202. The send button 508 and theexit button 510 are carried forward from FIG. 5 to represent similarfunctions in FIG. 6.

FIG. 7 illustrates further configurations of the user interfaces,denoted generally at 700, with the control area 204 depicting exampleconfigurations of QWERTY keypads 702. In example implementations, theuser interfaces shown in FIG. 5 or 6 may transition to the userinterfaces 700 in response to movement of the separator 206. As shown inFIG. 7, the fixed-size display screen 108 may be reapportioned into thedisplay area 202 and the control area 204. More specifically, FIG. 7illustrates a non-limiting scenario in which the control area 204 isexpanded to accommodate a relatively large QWERTY keypad 702. Thus, thedisplay area 202 as shown in FIG. 7 may be correspondingly smaller. TheQWERTY keypad 702 may facilitate more efficient entry of alphanumerictext into the display area 202 (i.e., the fields 504 and/or 506).

Having provided the foregoing description of FIGS. 2-7, severalobservations are noted. The separator 206 may be controlled by hardwareand/or software mechanisms, and may respond to user input registeredthrough those mechanisms. Put differently, in some cases, the separator206 may respond to commands provided directly by the user. In othercases, the separator 206 may move in response to user actions directedto icons (e.g., 210 in FIG. 2, 302 in FIG. 3, etc.). In these lattercases, the user may not explicitly request that the separator 206 move,but the separator 206 may nevertheless move indirectly in response towhat the user did explicitly request.

FIG. 8 illustrates process flows, denoted generally at 800, that may beperformed in connection with the adjustable user interfaces with slidingseparators. Without limiting possible implementations, the process flows800 may be performed by software modules that provide theuser-configurable UI 112 as shown in FIG. 1. Put differently, theprocess flows 800 may be understood as elaborating further onillustrative processing performed in connection with theuser-configurable UI 112. However, implementations of this descriptionmay perform at least parts of the process flows 800 using othercomponents without departing from the scope and spirit of the presentdescription.

Turning to the process flows 800 in more detail, block 802 representspopulating or presenting an output or display area of a user interface.FIG. 2 provides examples of a suitable display area at 202. For example,block 802 may include rendering the general content 208 within thedisplay area 202.

Block 804 represents populating or presenting an input or control areaof the user interface. FIG. 2 provides examples of a suitable controlarea at 204. For example, block 804 may include renderingrepresentations of any number of icons in the control area 204. FIG. 2provides examples of such icons at 210 a-210 n, and FIG. 3 providesfurther examples of icons at 302 a-302 n.

Block 806 represents presenting a visible representation of a movable orslidable separator on a display screen (e.g., 108 in FIG. 1). FIGS. 2-7provides examples of the separator at 206, as disposed between thedisplay areas 202 and control areas 204.

Decision block 808 represents evaluating whether a user has activated anicon presented in the control area (e.g., 204). If decision block 808determines that the user has activated an icon in the control area, theprocess flows may take Yes branch 810 to proceed to block 812. Block 812represents performing one or more actions that are associated with theicon activated by the user. In some cases, as described above, actionsassociated with the activated icon may implicitly move the separator,even though the user may not have explicitly requested movement of theseparator.

Afterwards, the process flows 800 may proceed to block 814, whichrepresents receiving an indication of separator movement. If the processflows 800 reach block 814 via block 812, then the separator movement mayresult implicitly from icons activated by the user.

In some implementation scenarios, a given user may explicitly requestmovement of the separator, rather than activating or selecting icons.Returning to decision block 808, if the given user has not activated orselected any icons, but rather has explicitly requested movement of theseparator, then the process flows 800 may take No branch 816 to block814. Accordingly, if the process flows 800 reach block 814 directly fromdecision block 808, then the separator movement may result from anexplicit request initiated by the user.

As appreciated from the foregoing description, in some cases, block 814may include receiving indications of separator movement explicitlyrequested by the user. In other cases, block 814 may include receivingindications of separator movement implicitly resulting from activationor selection of icons.

Block 818 represents adjusting the proportions of control and displayareas within a fixed-size display screen (e.g., 108 in FIG. 1). FIGS.2-7 as described above illustrate several example scenarios in whichdisplay areas 202 and control areas 204 have their relative sizesadjusted in response to either explicit or implicit movement of theseparator 206.

Block 820 represents altering a display of icons in the control areas204, in response to the separator movement indicated in block 814. Asshown above in the transition from FIG. 2 to FIG. 3, the type and numberof icons (e.g., 210 and 302) may vary in response to user actionsdirected to particular icons.

It is noted that the process flows 800 shown in FIG. 8 may be repeatedindefinitely, to process any number of actions directed to a givenelectronic device 102. However, in the interests of clarity, FIG. 8 doesnot explicitly illustrate this repetitive processing.

The foregoing description provides technologies for adjustable userinterfaces with sliding separators. Although this descriptionincorporates language specific to computer structural features,methodological acts, and computer readable media, the scope of theappended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features,acts, or media described herein. Rather, this description providesillustrative, rather than limiting, implementations. Moreover, theseimplementations may modify and change various aspects of thisdescription without departing from the true spirit and scope of thisdescription, which is set forth in the following claims.

I claim:
 1. An apparatus comprising at least one physicalcomputer-readable storage medium having stored thereoncomputer-executable instructions that, when loaded into at least onehardware processor and executed, program the hardware processor to:present a control portion of a user interface on a fixed-size displaydevice, the control portion configured to display a keypad; present adisplay portion of the user interface on the display device, the displayportion configured to display corresponding alphanumeric text associatedwith input entered via the keypad; present a movable slider on thedisplay device, so that the slider separates the control portion fromthe display portion; display the keypad in the control portion of theuser interface, and display corresponding alphanumeric text entered viathe keypad on the display portion; receive an indication that the sliderhas moved on the display device; adjust relative proportions of thecontrol portion and the display portion in response to the indication;and display the keypad as a numeric keypad when the slider is in a firstposition relative to the display device, and transition to display thekeypad as one of an alphanumeric ITU-T standard keypad or a QWERTYkeypad when the slider is in at least a second position relative to thedisplay device while continuing to present the display portion of theuser interface.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the instructions toreceive an indication include instructions that programs the hardwareprocessor to receive an indication of input manipulating the slider. 3.The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer-executable instructionsthat, when loaded into at least one hardware processor and executed,further program the hardware processor to move the slider on the displaydevice in response to an icon presented on the display device beingactivated by a user action.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, thecomputer-executable instructions that, when loaded into the at least onehardware processor and executed, program the hardware processor todisplay the keypad as the alphanumeric ITU-T standard keypad when theslider is in the second position relative to the display device, andtransition to display the keypad as the QWERTY keypad when the slider isin at least a third position relative to the display device.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein application specific content is displayedin the display area when the slider is in the first position and whenthe slider is in the second position.
 6. A display device comprising: afixed-size hardware display screen operable to provide an input controlportion for displaying an icon associated with one of an application ora utility and for receiving a selection of the icon, and operable toprovide an output display portion for presenting output associated withan executing one of the application or the utility when the icon isselected and the application or the utility thereby executed; and aseparator movable along the display screen, wherein the separatordivides the input control portion from the output display portion,wherein the input control portion and the output display portion areresized relative to one another in response to movement of theseparator, and wherein a numeric keypad presented on the display screenis altered to display one of an alphanumeric ITU-T standard keypad or aQWERTY keypad in response to movement of the separator while continuingto present the output display portion.
 7. The display device of claim 6,wherein the separator is controllable in response to asoftware-implemented mechanism.
 8. The display device of claim 6,wherein the separator is controllable in response to ahardware-implemented mechanism.
 9. The display device of claim 6,wherein the separator is responsive to input to slide the separatorrelative to the display screen.
 10. The display device of claim 6,wherein the separator on the display device moves in response to an iconpresented on the display device being activated by a user action. 11.The display device of claim 6, wherein the alphanumeric ITU-T standardkeypad presented on the display screen is altered to display the QWERTYkeypad in response to movement of the separator.
 12. The display deviceof claim 6, wherein application specific content is displayed in theoutput display area when the numeric keypad is presented on the displayscreen and when one of the alphanumeric ITU-T standard keypad or theQWERTY keypad is presented on the display screen in response to themovement of the separator.
 13. A computer-based device comprising:processing hardware; display hardware; a bus system coupled tocommunicate with the processing hardware and the display hardware; and acomputer-readable storage medium coupled to communicate with theprocessing hardware via the bus system, the computer-readable storagemedium is encoded with computer-executable instructions that, whenloaded into the processing hardware, program the processing hardware topresent a user interface on the display hardware, wherein the userinterface is divided into an output display portion and an input controlportion that are separated by a movable separator, wherein the userinterface is responsive to re-positioning of the separator to resize theoutput display portion and the input control portion, and display anumeric keypad when the moveable separator is in a first positionrelative to the display hardware, and to display one of an alphanumericITU-T standard keypad or a QWERTY keypad when the moveable separator isin at least a second position relative to the display hardware whilecontinuing to present the display portion of the user interface.
 14. Thedevice of claim 13, wherein the keypad is presented in the input controlportion, and wherein the output display portion is operative to displayalphanumeric data entered through the keypad.
 15. The device of claim13, wherein the computer-readable storage medium is encoded withcomputer-executable instructions that, when loaded into the processinghardware, move the slider on the display device in response to an iconpresented on the display device being activated by a user action. 16.The device of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage medium isencoded with computer-executable instructions that, when loaded into theprocessing hardware, display the alphanumeric ITU-T standard keypad whenthe moveable separator is in the second position relative to the displayhardware, and display the QWERTY keypad when the moveable separator isin at least a third position relative to the display hardware.
 17. Thedevice of claim 13, wherein application specific content is displayed inthe output display area when the separator is in the first position andwhen the slider is in second position.